1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game program, and in particular to a game program for causing a computer to implement a game that displays a movable character on a touch panel type of monitor. In addition, the present invention relates to a game device and a game method that is implemented by this game program.
2. Background Art
Various video games have been proposed in the past. Various video games now allow one to issue various commands to a character displayed on a monitor by operating an input unit that is independent of a game unit, e.g., various input buttons on a controller, or by operating various input buttons that are integrally provided on the game unit. For example, a standard game device has a monitor, a game unit that is separate from the monitor, and a controller that is separate from the game unit. A plurality of input buttons are arranged on the controller. In addition, a portable game device has a game unit, a liquid crystal monitor arranged in the approximate central portion of the game unit, and a plurality of input buttons that are arranged on both sides of the liquid crystal monitor. With this type of game device, various commands can be issued to a character displayed on the monitor by operating at least one of the plurality of input buttons.
Thus, one known video game in which commands to a character are performed from input buttons includes a competitive video game, e.g., a baseball game, in which athlete characters are displayed on a monitor and a competition takes place. With this baseball game, if a player causes a defense character to move toward the ball in order to cause the defense character to catch the ball, the player can cause the desired character, e.g., a fielder character, to move toward the ball by selectively and continuously pushing up/down and left/right directional command buttons. Then, the fielder character can catch the ball when the fielder character arrives at the ball character.
With the conventional baseball game, if a player selectively and continuously pushes the up/down and left/right directional command buttons so as to cause the ball to be caught by a fielder character, the fielder character will move in the direction of the directional command buttons that were pushed. For example, if the player causes the fielder character to move right, the right directional command button will be consecutively or continuously pushed. In addition, if for example the player causes the fielder character to move diagonally upward and to the right, the right directional command button and the up directional command button will be selectively and consecutively pushed.
It will be easy for the player to cause a fielder character to move right because the player can simply continue to push the right directional command button when the player is to cause the fielder character to move right. However, it will be difficult for the player to accurately cause a fielder character to move diagonally upward and to the right because the player must selectively and continuously push the right directional command button and the up directional command button when the player attempts to cause the fielder character to move diagonally upward and to the right. The more the player attempts to accurately move the fielder character to a desired position, the greater number of times the player may have to push the right direction command button and the upward directional command button.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need to make it possible to easily execute commands for moving a character. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.